Planters as unique as your farm.
Can my current planter be optimized for better performance?
That one simple question ignited an unexpected fire in Sprout owner Ben Pederson.
Ben grew up on his family's farm and after returning home from college, his father encouraged him to put his studies to use and look for new ways to diversify their operation.
Becoming a Precision Planting dealer in 2012 was just the beginning. Ben went on to establish Sprout, where he dove headfirst into upgrading planters on his family’s farm and then across the region. With each alteration, Ben witnessed firsthand how a little TLC could revitalize both old and new machinery.
Along with this came a still growing understanding of the way planters are supposed to work. A dying art, that Sprout intends to keep very much alive. Regardless of the color of or systems installed on your planter, we can provide expert recommendations to make what you already have perform to its full potential through inspections and consulting.
“Planters aren’t like Oldsmobiles,” Ben explains. “There’s no set acre limit that makes them obsolete. They’re sturdy steel structures with a hitch and wheels. At Sprout, we can take your perfectly good “chassis” or planter bar and add high-performance “engines” like high-speed planting capabilities and deadly accurate meters, as well as upgraded “turbo boosts” like liquid fertilizer systems, and even new “brakes and tires” like long-lived, precision-made parallel arms and disc openers just to name a few options.
It was on this journey of customization that an idea was born: Why not offer brand-new, custom-built planters too? Thus, the “Sowmaster” planter was born, offering customers an opportunity to be the true “master” behind a planter’s capabilities to “sow” seeds on their farm. From hitch to closing tail, the combination of options available is too many to list but is easily narrowed down with thoughtful questions and combinations with our team.
Since the creation of the Sowmaster, Sprout has added planting consulting and even more advanced technology solutions to its offerings. But, no matter how much we expand, Ben's commitment to his customers remains the same.
After all, Ben and the Sprout team get it – you know your farm better than anyone.
You need a partner in planting who truly listens to you and provides you with the tools you actually need.
So, what are you waiting for? Give Sprout a call. Let's get you set up with personalized solutions that work as hard as you do.
No BS. Just results.
Where We’re Going
Where We’ve Been
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Growing up, Ben could be found trekking through corn fields and pitching in on the family farm. Dubbed 'Sprout' for being a little guy still growing, that nickname stuck and later morphed into his CB radio handle, a badge of his roots. The irony? Today, Ben towers at over 6 feet tall.
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After returning home from college, Ben was encouraged to diversify the family farm. Faced with the decision of taking over his dad’s hog operation or chasing a new venture, he chose to pursue his passion for precision planting – an option he believed would be complementary to his dad’s operation.
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In 2012, Ben ordered a precision planting system for the family’s John Deere planter, aiming to optimize seed placement, spacing and depth according to the farm’s soil conditions and crops. As he witnessed the game-changing benefits roll in, a thought struck him: “Why not help others customize their planters, too?” It also inspired Ben to become a Precision Planter dealer, all while continuing his work on the family farm.
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After several years of working only on retrofitting new systems to older planters, Ben saw a desire in Sprout customers for the same type of customizability in a new package.
In 2018, the Sowmaster was born. Every component of a Sowmaster planter is customizable to a farmer’s preferences just like Ben’s very first planter.
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Since the creation of the Sowmaster in 2018, Sprout has expanded its offerings to include planting consulting and even more advanced technological solutions to ensure we stay one step ahead for our customers. Soon Sprout will offer customizations and enhancements for combines and sprayers, too!
Delivering Planting Solutions
Our Mission
Sprout is on a mission to help farmers rethink one of their most important decisions: planting.
Tired of planting experts who don’t have boots-on-the-ground context of the challenges you face? As a team of generational farmers, Sprout knows exactly what questions to ask and what roadblocks you might hit. We deliver planting solutions that work for your unique operation. That’s right. We cut through the fluff and deliver real solutions outside of the typical 9-5 work day, giving you the assistance and ROI you deserve.
The Team Behind Sprout
Meet Sprout
Ben Pederson
Ben Pederson aka Sprout, got his name because he loved walking the corn fields with his dad when they were just sprouting. This is where some of the best conversations happened and a nickname was born, and sealed over the CB radio. Never settling for off-the-shelf, Ben customized his first planter on their family farm, Vital Grains, to fit exactly what he needed to get the best performance from his seed.
Shane Vanderpool
Shane Vanderpool holds the team together with his precise knowledge and skills he learned as a young boy following his grandpa around on the farm. Shane came to Sprout from the trucking industry in 2020 to fulfill his dream of applying his skills in a farm-focused business. His favorite thing about working at Sprout is seeing the planters “come to life” at the end of a build.
Tanner Weringa
Tanner Weringa has been involved with agriculture since he graduated high school, working for ag companies both large and small. Tanner takes a hands-on approach to problem solving, and enjoys learning and overcoming obstacles during the planter builds, as each one requires a different twist. Tanner strives to build one-on-one relationships with Sprout’s customers, and believes one of the most important aspects of their business is service after the sale.
What Makes Sprout Different
Core Values
Work smarter,
not harder.
Sprout is on a mission to help growers look at their planters differently. Yes, you read that right. It's time to trick out the planter for efficiency and precision—at a fraction of the price you'd expect.
ben@sproutag.com
20690 460th St.
Lake Mills, IA 50450
